Editor – Ian Smith, 50 Mount Vernon Road, Stranraer Tele 4098B&F Treasurer – Mrs Mary Plunkett, 2 Dounan Road, Dunragit, WigtownshireThe main features in the above issue were as follows (this is not a comprehensive detail of all it contained. The Club reports, in particular, are too time consuming at this stage to retype).EditorialIn last month’s Editorial the impression may have been given that the ‘Box and Fiddle’ was solely responsible for the interest and increase in popularity of the Association. This is, of course, simply not true.It is everybody who supports traditional music. Club Committees, players, teachers, members, media programmes like ‘Take the Floor’, Clinkscale Road Shows, Wilkie’s Festivals, Jimmy Blair’s Accordion Orchestra, the Strathspey & Reel Societies, Country Dance teams and a whole host of people in all walks of life.New tunes are being turned out almost daily, but most of these will be lost unless they are all collected together and preserved. Who or what organization could or would do this? It is easy to buy tapes and LP’s, but for sheet music it is not so easy.(And this was true at the time. Fortunately Deeay Music (Doug Adamson) and Shian Music (Iain Peterson) came along and did a massive amount of good work doing just what Ian Smith was suggesting).Case in point, the fiddle tune ‘The Hen’s March to the Midden’. Lots of fiddlers know this tune, but none will write it down in case it infringes copyright. Is there a known composer of this tune? And many others.The fiddlers music is not too badly off, but accordion music is just not there. The two ought to go hand in hand.Association ties are now ready. Order now from Association Secretary Andrew Nairn. They are brown, maroon and dark blue with our logo. A very good buy at £3.Orders from Club Secretaries qualify for a discount. Also available are enamel badges at 40p.Our Association Treasurer wishes to announce that Club annual membership fees are now due to be paid.We are pleased to inform you all of the next Club to join us. Will you please welcome Campbeltown & District A&F Club and they can be contacted through Mr Maurice Duncan, 100 Witchburn Road, Campbeltown, PA28 6PD Tel 0586 3431/2. They meet in the Argyll Arms.On behalf of the Executive Committee and staff of the ‘B&F’ may we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Guid New Year.This year ends on a frustrating note, let’s hope there will be more harmonious notes in 1981. The Reel Radioby Derek HamiltonI was not very impressed by the latest Kenny Thomson broadcast on Saturday, 15th November.The band was lively enough but it lacked the sparkle normally associated with this band. The balance left something to be desired too. The fiddle was very predominant and the second box difficult to distinguish at times.The band, however, played some cracking stuff. None of your ‘play safe’ attitude here – ‘let’s get tore in and to hell with the consequences’.The band line-up was all as before except for the drummer, who on this occasion was John McCroskie from Alloway – not Alloa as Robbie Shepherd said. John made a good showing of it for his very first broadcast.I particularly liked Gordon Simpson’s fiddle solo – what a feeling he puts into the pipe stuff (maybe all these long brainwashing sessions with Norrie Williams!)The week before the Wardlaw broadcast, the Glendaruel made a return to the airwaves after a two-and-a bit-year absence. Pity, but the band did nothing for me at all. The recording was reasonable but the band, which no doubt pleases many people, just left me cold. I don’t quite know what the reasons were. All I know is that I lost interest fairly early on in the session.I’m a big fan of the Alex MacArthur Band and despite a bad sound system at the Perth City Hall in Bill Wilkie’s annual shindig, the band played a blinder. I stood upstairs enraptured by the lift. Anyone who could keep their feet still to that has no legs!Pity that Sandy could play so well on that occasion yet days later take first prize for blatant mistakes in a broadcast. I’ve no doubt, however, that the ex-Ian Powrie sideman and star of the long-running ‘Down at the Mains’ (remember the Arthur MacLeod Trio?) will argue that all the notes were right – some just happened to be in the wrong places.I counted no less than 15 slips. I wonder how long that record will stand.Robbie Shepherd is improving week by week and now that the Aberdeen accent is waning just a wee bit (or should that be a ‘wee bitty?’) He makes a grand job of the introductions and some credit must go to Chris Worrall the programmes Producer. At least he does try very hard, although of course it does not always come off.I know that Chris tends to think this column is over critical of the work he does but I do also praise where praise is due.Since the programme was given a new format I think it is fair to say that Chris has campaigned very well on our behalf. Certainly he has brought new bands and original bands. He has also dropped some of our favourites, no doubt always for good reason.It could also be argued that the sound produced by the BBC is less important to the general public than actually having the music broadcast. But the fact still remains that there are more less-than-perfect recordings than good ones and in the main Chris Worrall has the ultimate responsibility for this. It is perhaps a bit disappointing that the Producer does not really have the forum to hit back at his critics.I enjoyed the Jim Dawson broadcast, his second. This band has what I would call ‘an old fashioned freshness’. They don’t really get into anything difficult but they do play popular music and very well. Strikes me they are a very good Scottish Dance Band (dance being the operative word).Last month I bemoaned that no-one had covered the Perth Festival except for Robbie Shepherd doing some interviews for his Radio Aberdeen programme.Chris Worrall tells me that in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day they will put out a programme featuring some of the winning artistes. This is a studio recording, but at least will cover the Festival in some way.Also looking forward, as I mentioned last month, the current 45 minutes is to be extended again to 75 minutes before the end of the year. Great!There are also plans for new spots featuring some of the band leaders but these will not take the form of an interview, which would tend to be similar every week.Radio Forth’s Accordion 80 I gather went off very well indeed despite a few little organizational hiccups, like running well over time. The recorded section will be the subject of a broadcast later this year. Record Review by Derek HamiltonAccordion Bonanza – Various artists – Steblin SRCNaver Bay – Jim MacKay and his Band – SpeysideThe Border Dance Band at Gretna Hall – Fellside FE020ObituaryAlbie Tedham of Langholmby Ian Smith (Editor)It is with a sad heart that we have to report the loss of yet another of our outstanding players and supporter of our traditional music. At a time like this, with losing so many stalwarts, one begins to wonder what side the good Lord is on. No doubt we will know in time.Our thoughts at this time go out to Albie Tedham of Langholm. Like a long playing record Albie went on and on. At festivals it was the natural thing to look out for Albie and have a crack.He was not at Perth but we were not unduly worried as there were such a lot of people about we assumed we had missed him. Therefore it was quite a shock to learn that he had gone from us for ever.Our condolences to his wife and family and hope that their memory of Albie is as fond as ours.Albie started playing the fiddle when he was 12 years old and was taught by Jack Irving of Langholm. He played in competitions all over. He won the Gretna Fiddle Championship three times, the Oliver Waugh Trophy at Langholm in 1979, the Archie Park Trophy at Gretna in 1979 and the Fiddle Championship at Newcastleton at least four times. He competed for many years at the Perth Festival and was runner-up twice.For years he played with local dance bands and later with the Border Dance Band where he played the piano and fiddle. They play regularly at the Gretna Hall Hotel where they had made an LP on which Albie does a solo spot. This record was released on 4th April and between records and tapes 2,000 have been sold.Albie is survived by his wife who lives at Holmwood Drive, Langholm, five sons and one daughter. He has a brother James, who is Pipe Major with Langholm Pipe Band.Albie suffered from a most crippling affliction – he was deaf. Such was the character of the man he didn’t let deafness stop him. Back in 1942 he began to lose his hearing. Operations and treatment brought no joy and he stopped playing for seven years. However, he was determined to play again, and he did. He told me that he learned to ‘music read’ the vibrations on the neck. It was after this successful accomplishment that he twice came second at the Mod.Forbye the fiddle he played the piano, piano accordion, recorder, the ‘moothie’ and the bagpipes. He also trained himself to play the fiddle left-handed and as you know this means transposing as you play. His first love was traditional music but he also enjoyed playing classical.Individuals are few and far between, so that when one passes on we regret even more his passing. Albie will long be remembered by the Association and all his friends, both locally and nationally. CLUB DIARYAberdeen (Queen’s Hotel) – 25th Nov 80 Billy PeaceAlnwick (Nag’s Head) – members onlyArmadale (Rob Roy Inn) - Balloch (Loch Lomond Hotel) – 21st Dec 80 Donald Montgomery (Golden Fiddle Winner) Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 24th Nov 80 Dave Smith (accordion) & Alistair Fraser (fiddle)Banff (Royal Oak Hotel) – Beith (Anderson Hotel) – Biggar (Clydesdale Hotel) – 8th Dec 80 Wallochmore Ceilidh BandBuchan (Buchaness Hotel) – Castle Douglas (Ernespie Hotel) – 27th Nov 80 Gillian Yellop (fiddle)Chrissie Leatham Club (Hearts’ Supporters Club, Tynecastle) – 3rd Dec 80 Bobby CroweCoupar Angus (Royal Hotel) -Cumbria (Huntsman Inn – Penton) – Cumnock (Tup Inn) – Derwentside (Working Men’s Club, Consett) – 27th Nov 80 Gordon Pattullo Dumfries (Oughton’s) Dunblane (Hydro) – Dundee (Royal Central Hotel) – Dunfermline (Crusaders Hall) – 2nd Dec 80 Gordon PattulloEast Kilbride (Stuart Hotel) – 27th Nov 80 Currie BrothersFalkirk (Plough Hotel, Stenhousemuir) – Forres (Brig Motel) – 10th Dec 80 James Alexander (fiddle)FortWilliam (Highland Hotel) – Galston (Barr Castle Social Club, Galston) – 8th Dec 80 Stuart Anderson Glendale (Black Bull Hotel – Wooler) – members onlyHighland/ Inverness (Drumossie Hotel) – Kelso (Cross Key’s Hotel) – Kintore (Crown Hotel) – 3rd Dec 80 Alistair Hunter TrioLangholm (Crown Hotel) – 10th Dec 80 Donaldson BrothersLesmahagow (Craignethan Hotel) – 4th Dec 80 Tommy FordLivingston (Cameron Ironworks Social Club) Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) – M.A.F.I.A. (Black Bull, Milngavie) – Monklands (Georgian Hotel, Coatbridge) – New Cumnock (Crown Hotel) – Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 24th Nov 80 Ian Kennedy (fiddle) Fort WilliamNewton St Boswells (Railway Hotel) North East (Seafield Arms, Keith) – 2nd Dec 80 Ian Kennedy (fiddle) Fort WilliamOban (Park Hotel) – Perth (Salutation Hotel) – Renfrew (Glynhill Hotel) Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) Shetland (venue?) Stranraer (Buck’s Head Hotel) – 1st Dec 80 Archie DuncanTorthorwald (Torr House Hotel) Wick (McKay’s Hotel) – THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-1. Aberdeen 2. Armadale3. Balloch4. Banchory5. Biggar6. Chrissie Leatham ClubThis new club, formed through the efforts of Scotland’s grand lady of the accordion –Chrissie Leatham – got of to a flying start with its inaugural meeting on 8th October held at the Tynecastle Hearts Supporters Club premises in Edinburgh. An excellent first night attendance of players and audience appreciative of a wide range of traditional, Continental and classical playing inspired no doubt by a welcome support and encouragement from Radio Forth’s own Robin Brock and Steve Jack. Many thanks, lads, for the publicity and for putting your interview with Chrissie ‘on the air’.A foot-tapping start with our nine-piece accordion band, followed by young Colin Brown, set the scene for an entertaining night. Duets from Elaine White and Michelle Hardie were followed by our other accordionists Philip Shevchuk, Calum Smith, Graham Edwardson, David Wilson, Gillies Crichton, Wendy Moffat, David Strang and John Gibson.Janek Kowalski took us on a scintillating Continental tour with his button accordion and Bill Rintoul and Andrew Knight, welcome guests, showed how harmonica and violin can contribute so much to the entertainment. Thanks too to David Miller, another welcome guest.Guest artistes, The Lothian Scottish Dance Band, demonstrated with professional ease the sound that’s put them in such popular demand and with their excellent traditional playing helped encourage all our up-and-coming youngsters.Wednesday, 12th November, meeting has a particularly large turnout thanks to the presence of Iain MacPhail and his SDB as guest artistes. A combination of traditional Scottish tunes, Scandinavian waltzes and mazurkas and dazzling duets impeccably played had audience and our own players clamouring for more.The club also had the novelty of hearing our two accordion bands, the nine-piece for seniors and no less than a 12-piece for our younger players. Clearly a lot of rehearsal and effort has gone in to ‘orchestrate’ both teams.Individual accordionists included Iain Brown and Colin Brown, Stuart Hood, Ted Brown and Bill Weir on drums, duets from Elaine White and Michelle Hardie and from Joan and George Hennys, Angus Murray on electronic, Andrew Knight on fiddle, Philip Shevchuk, Janek Kowalski and Geraldo Croalla performing some fine Continental and classical, while Graham Edwardson and David Wilson continue to display mature traditional playing. I’m sorry that a tight programme didn’t allow all our visitors to perform and I promise to make up for this in the future.Thanks to all who made our Club get off to such a successful start, especially our own Tartan Terror, compere Gordon Sinclair.Adam Braidwood (Secretary) 7. Cumnock & District8. Falkirk9. Fort William10. Forres11. Glendale12. Highland13. Kintore14. Langholm15. LesmahagowLesmahagow B&F Club held their second meeting of the season in the Craignethan Hotel on Thursday, 13th November. Chairman, Jack Gray, gave a warm welcome to a capacity house. Our guest artiste for the night, on five row electronic button accordion, was Pat Callaghan from Motherwell, whose traditional, modern and Continental renderings were much appreciated by the company. Our juvenile players on the night were Alan Haddow and David Armstrong (Lesmahagow), Una Bryson (Strathaven), Finlay Robertson (Coatbridge). One of our most applauded artistes of the evening was 74-year-old John Russell from Larkhall on a button melodeon which was 40 years old. Two artistes visiting the Club for the first time were ‘ wee Joe’ Vettriano and Guy Biaggi, who took the stage together accompanied by Willie Simpson (Crossford) on drums. They certainly had the company foot tapping. Wee Joe was at one time a member of the Tony Verrichia’s Number One Accordion Orchestra.Other players came from all the airts. We had on accordions Bob Berry, Bob Paterson, Allan Smith, Adrian Hannah, Nelson Callan and Jimmy Divers. The fiddlers for the night were Iain Henderson (Chairman of the EK Club), John Houston, Annie Robertson and Justine Tennant..Our resident drummer, Bruce Shaw, was once again in top form and got a spell off when Willie Simpson took the sticks.Raffle time had the privilege of Carol Moffat, better known as Carol Holmes, of BBC programme ‘Angels’, a Lesmahagow girl who pulled the tickets out of the box.We are still in need of a pianist, electric keyboard provided as our hostess Dot Keljgard has mush to do along with our host, husband Norman, in this hamely village hotel, thus keeping her off the piano.Again we say, haste ye back!Jack Gray (Chairman). 16. Lockerbie17. Monklands18. Newtongrange19. Ormiston20. North Cumbria21. North East22. Perth & District23. Shetland24. Stranraer25. WickCLUB DIRECTORY AS AT SEPT 1980 (Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports above were definitely open.)1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975)2. Alnwick A&F Club (Sept 1976)3. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1980) originally called Bathgate Club4. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1971)5. Banchory A&F Club (1978)6. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973)7. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1971)8. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974)9. Buchan A&F Club10. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)11. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980) 12. Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)13. Coupar Angus A&F Club14. Cumnock A&F Club15. Derwentside A&F Club16. Dingwall & District (Aug 1979)17. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughton’s) (April 1965)18. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971)19. Dundee & District A&F Club 20. Dunfermline & District A&F Club21. Dunipace A&F Club (c Nov 1980)22. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)23. Falkirk A&F Club24. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)25. Fort William A&F Club (Oct 1980)26. Galston A&F Club27. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)28. Greenhead Accordion Club (Hexham)29. Highland A&F Club (Inverness)30. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976)31 Kintore A&F Club32. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967)33. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Oct 1980)34. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973)35 Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973)36. M.A.F.I.A.37 Monklands A&F Club38 Newcastleton Accordion Club39 Newtongrange A&F Club (Oct 1977)40 Newton St Boswells Accordion Club41 New Cumnock A&F Club42 North Cumbria A&F Club43 North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971)44Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975)45 Orkney A&F Club46 Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club47 Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970)48. Premier A&F Club NI (cNov 1980)49 Rothbury Accordion Club (Feb 1974)50 Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978)51 Stranraer & District Accordion Club52 Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)53 Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975)Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)54. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)55. Coquetdale56. Club Accord57. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)58. Fintry A&F Club 59. Gretna A&F Club (June 1966)60. Renfrew A&F Club61. Straiton Accordion Club (opened? 3rd club to open – closed March 1979)62. Wellbank A&F ClubAdvertising ratesFull Page - £70Half Page - £35Quarter Page - £17.50